


Mythical Free Time

by Tarlan



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Humor, M/M, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-01-02
Updated: 2006-01-02
Packaged: 2017-10-21 13:30:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/225717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John convinces Rodney to watch a movie with the team.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mythical Free Time

**Author's Note:**

> The McShep Challenge - Title courtesy of Kyn_Moonlight - unknowingly :-) _Since Huntress, of the many challenges, is having such a bad time with leaking/flooding... (::HUGS!:: to Huntress. And better yet, challenge fic for Huntress!) Atlantis, specifically one of the guys' rooms, lab or office, or an important common area, has a leak. Lots of annoyed sogginess, and somehow, hot sex ensues._

Despite all the weird and wonderful devices ranged over benches, just waiting for the chance to be activated and used for the first time in ten thousand years, Rodney's laboratory was pretty boring. The scientists worked quietly alone or in pairs, with voices low and eyes focused downwards at computers or on the latest device selected from many. They mumbled what Ford called _technobabble_ for want of a better word and for once, John liked that name. Of course, it helped that Ford was not the one to actually coin it that otherwise it would have been something inane such as _techie-talk_ , though John was partial to calling it _geek-talk_. However, Bates, of all people, had pointed out that geek-talk covered a far wider range of inexplicable discussions that might have nothing at all to do with science, such as the small Kavanagh clique that was into _Dungeons and Dragons_ role playing.

What Rodney talked most of the time was technobabble; deep technical discussions on esoteric theories based on space and time continuum, vacuums, wormholes and spatial anomalies...and that was just in reference to the ZPM technology. Whenever he and Zelenka slipped into one of their discussions, with ideas and concepts flying back and forth, John wondered if he had suddenly lost all comprehension of the English language because the words sounded familiar but made no sense at all. General O'Neill had mentioned this at the SGC the night before John stepped through the Stargate for the very first time, and ended up stranded in another galaxy, surrounded by people speaking technobabble in one form or another. Yet he had spoken fondly of his _geeks_ \--Sam Carter and Daniel Jackson--nonetheless. John could understand that because he'd become rather fond of one particular geek too.

With the latest mission report completed and emailed off to Weir, John had found himself at a loose end this evening and decided it was time for another team night. That meant gathering his team and dragging them away from whatever activity currently held their interest. Ford had been slouching on a chair in the commissary, staring at a slowly going cold cup of coffee, and he had leapt at the chance to do something else. Teyla had required a little more convincing but John knew how to entice her with a teaser to whatever movie he had managed to borrow. That only left Rodney, who was firmly ensconced in his laboratory and, like a true geek, was not seeing any of it as actual work.

"Major?" As usual, the greeting was just on the wrong side of friendly; more of a _what do you want?_ than a _how good to see you_.

"We're having a team night. Thought you might like to take in a little free time and spend it watching _The Abyss_."

Rodney barely glanced up from the handheld monitor that he was waving over the top of what looked like just a very small metal box to John. "It's a myth."

"That size doesn't matter?" John asked, looking at the small innocuous-looking box.

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Why does everything come down to sex with you, Major?"

"I didn't mention sex." John glanced at Ford. "Did you hear me mention sex?"

"No, sir."

"Teyla? Did you hear me mention anything about sex?"

"No, Major."

"Anyone else hear me mention sex?" John asked aloud.

The four scientists ranged around them looked up in solemn surprise and shook their heads. John had to bite the inside of his cheek at the flush that reddened Rodney's cheeks, and the way Rodney tightened his lips in embarrassment.

"Fine. You didn't mention sex."

"But you did, Rodney." Rodney squirmed uncomfortably in his seat as one of his science team covered a snigger with a cough. "Is sex a problem for you, Rodney? Not getting enough or--"

Rodney's cheeks brightened even further but he raised his head defiantly. "Unlike certain people who'd like to think they are Captain Kirk, I have no problem with sex."

"Well, you were the one to mention it."

Rodney glared around as the sniggers became more audible.

"I just...I was..." Rodney huffed in annoyance, sitting back and folding his arms across his chest in a way that was both defensive and aggressive at the same time. _The Abyss_?"

"Yeah...the one with aliens underwater."

Rodney looked longingly at the small device on his workbench. "You go ahead and set things running. I'll be along in five min--"

"No. We'll wait for you," John took up a similar folded-arm stance, leaning back against the wall.

Rodney rolled his eyes again, knowing he had been outsmarted but then, John had been down this road before with Rodney. Five minutes easily turned into five hours once Rodney became absorbed in his latest project, and John had no reason to believe Rodney even intended to come along in five minutes anyway. He smiled happily as Rodney snapped closed his laptop and pushed up from his stool, and that smile turned into a full blown grin as laughter burst from the laboratory seconds before the door closed behind them.

Geek baiting was such fun, especially with Rodney.

***

"Sound effects on this movie are really...very good."

"Hmm?" John dragged his eyes from the screen long enough to glance at Rodney's strong profile, following the line of his forehead down the slope of his nose and over the slightly parted lips to his slightly pudgy chin. The light from the large monitor reflected the intense blue of the one visible eye, with long lashes sweeping down over it as he blinked.

"The almost subliminal dripping of water in the background."

John looked back at the screen and listened hard, eyes widening as he heard the gentle flow of water rippling in the background just as Rodney had said.

"Yeah," exclaimed Ford. "Cool!" Though Ford drowned out the noise instantly as he dug around the bowl held in Rodney's lap and munched on another handful of popcorn.

"It adds...atmosphere," stated Teyla with a half smile. She reached over John and grabbed a handful of popcorn, one of the few indulgences she would allow herself beyond a love for all things chocolate.

John dipped his hand into the bowl and whipped his head around in time to catch Rodney's gaze head on as their fingers met and tangled. "After you," he said sweetly, disengaging his hand just a little slower than propriety would normally allow, brushing his fingertips against Rodney's hand as he pulled away, though Rodney either did not notice or did not mind.

They watched as the final scene played out, with the Deep Core exploration platform rising from the depths of the ocean on the top of a massive alien ship. The moral of _play nice with each other or else_ summed up the aliens' involvement in world politics. Mentally, John raised the lights fractionally as the DVD finished playing then watched as Teyla stood up and stretched lithely.

"Thank you. That was an interesting movie, though I felt sadness for the one whose sickness caused such pain to others."

"He was a certified psycho," Ford stated as he stood up too.

"He was not of himself."

They wandered towards the door, arguing over the Navy SEAL who had flipped out underwater, stopping only to offer a "good night" before taking the discussion into the corridor beyond. As the door closed behind them, John smiled across at Rodney who had yet to make a move, watching as he popped another kernel of popcorn into his mouth.

"Well?"

"If you are waiting for a discourse on the movie's scientific inadequacies-"

"No," John drawled. "Though I didn't hear you comment half as much as you did when we watched _Armageddon_ the other week."

Rodney stared at him with a small frown creasing his forehead, as if trying to decide if he was being teased or not. He sighed, smothering a yawn.

"Well, I suppose I ought to-"

"It's not that late. Want to watch something else?"

Rodney gave John a pained expression, eyes flicking to his wristwatch. "I really do have work to do in the lab--"

"It's after ten, Rodney."

"Which means I could get in another two or three hours before--"

"Stay. Stay and watch something else with me."

Rodney looked a little uneasy at the prospect but he settled back against the couch, clasping the almost-empty popcorn bowl between both hands.

"Perhaps another hour."

"What's a myth, Rodney?"

"What?"

"You said back in your lab...it's a myth."

Rodney looked confused and frightened for a moment before remembrance came, and then his eyes lit up almost in relief.

"Free time."

"Free time is a myth?"

Rodney's smile faltered. "Well, under the circumstances I suppose I could be excused a little exaggeration, but I really do have a lot of work requiring my undivided attention if we're to find a way to beat the wraith or open a wormhole back to Earth. Taken in conjunction with my vital presence on team missions there's not a lot of--"

"Free time." John finished the sentence with a wry smile.

Commanding the military on Atlantis took up a lot of his time in-between missions. He had Bates and Ford handling a lot of the day-to-day assignments and rosters but most everything else needed to come through him, providing a stack of paperwork that he could well do without. Despite this, he seemed to have far more free time than Rodney; more than enough to spend time sparring with Teyla or organizing the occasional team nights.

"Give yourself tonight off. Watch another movie with me," he wheedled softly, grinning when the wary look turned to resignation.

John jumped up and dug through the pile of DVDs sitting beside the player, holding one up in pleasure, _The Sixth Sense_. He put it into the player, having carefully removed the other movie, and then sank back onto the couch next to Rodney, who had finally discarded the now empty popcorn bowl. The lights dimmed at John's mental command and they sank into companionable silence as the movie began.

Later, John would not recall who made the first move. Perhaps it was the constant brush of thigh against thigh, of the way Rodney's hand dropped onto his arm, clutching it tightly when the dead girl grabbed at the living boy from under the bed. Whatever the cause, he realized that Rodney was well into his personal space, so close that all it took was the placement of his arm across the back of Rodney's shoulders and Rodney was pressed tight against his side. Perhaps they turned at the same time but, suddenly, lips were brushing across lips, hesitation fleeing when neither of them backed away; instead they sought greater contact.

John moaned as Rodney's tongue invaded his mouth, sucking and licking at the welcome intruder, coiling around it and tasting. His hand slipped under the blue t-shirt, smoothing over velvet soft flesh that was firmer than John expected. He pushed up the shirt, fingers carding through dark curls, across a strong pec to brush over a tightened nipple. Rodney moaned, mouth clamping tighter over John's, hips jerking forward; John dragged his mouth away.

"You like that, do you?"

He grinned and grabbed the hem of the t-shirt, encouraging Rodney to raise his arms so he could remove the impeding article of clothing. He threw it over his shoulder, behind the couch, uncaring where it landed as he had better things to focus on. John pressed Rodney back until he was half lying on the couch with his feet still on the floor. He leaned over the supine frame, unerringly finding one tight nipple with his mouth. John lathed the small nub, flicking at it with his tongue, teasing it between his teeth before suckling gently, knowing he was doing okay by the scrabbling hands that tugged on his hair, trying to hold him in place. He took the other nipple between thumb and forefinger, squeezing it, enjoying the way Rodney arched up against him in demand for more. John let go of the nipple and let his hand slide down the warm flesh to locate the button and zipper of Rodney's pants, opening them and encouraging Rodney to lift his hips so he could slowly drag the material down.

Rodney moaned in loss when John released the nipple he'd been orally fixated upon. His lips planted wet, open mouthed kisses on Rodney's ribs and belly before pressing over the head of the brief-covered erection. He sucked hard, the scent and taste of Rodney's desire seeping through the cotton, adding a tantalizing burst of sweetness and saltiness to strengthen the taste of the salty popcorn still on his tongue. He mouthed the hard flesh through the thin material while his hands slid beneath the tight briefs to grasp the rounded curves of Rodney's ass. Rodney's fingers were tangling in his hair and tugging at his ears, pushing him down one moment and drawing him up the next, torn between a continuance of this torture and the need for flesh on flesh.

John solved the dilemma by carefully pulling down the briefs, exposing the perfection of Rodney's hard erection.

"Beautiful," he murmured before tonguing the slit to taste the fresh pearl of precome beading at the tip. He licked the length of Rodney's cock before swallowing it whole, holding down Rodney's hips as he bucked up in passionate response.

When John released the hard shaft and sat back, Rodney was wild-eyed with need, mouth opening and closing like a fish stranded out of water, unable to formulate the words he needed. John crawled up and thrust his tongue between the open lips, letting Rodney taste himself as he ground their mouths together in a forceful, needy kiss. When he drew back again, Rodney was trembling with desire, with a need to find completion but John had better plans than using his mouth to give Rodney that release. He stood up, slowly undoing his pants, and taking a moment to be grateful that he had removed his boots earlier; his pants and boxers falling to the floor. Reaching into a nearby drawer, John pulled out a tube, squeezing a generous amount onto his fingers before he knelt astride Rodney's thighs.

John smiled down into Rodney's surprised eyes as his lube-coated fingers pushed inside his own body, finger fucking himself to loosen the muscle before spreading what remained over Rodney's cock; he held the base as he lowered himself down. It took all of his willpower to keep his eyes open as Rodney breached the entrance to his body, focusing hard on blue eyes turned almost black with desire. John relaxed, sinking all the way down onto Rodney, until he could feel the heat of Rodney's thighs pressed hard against his ass. He rose up, pulling almost all the way off Rodney before dropping again, crying out hoarsely as the thick shaft filled him, dragging over the sensitive bump of his prostate on both upward and downward motion. As he rose again, he felt hot fingers touching between them where they joined and he looked down into Rodney's awe and desire-filled face, his heart skipping a beat at the unadulterated wonder and innocence in the wide eyes.

Some of those fingers moved to wrap around his erection, sliding from base to tip in long quivering strokes, the agile thumb slipping over the sensitive head, drawing gasps of ecstasy from John as his world spiraled in to this single moment in time. All he could see was the beautiful man lying beneath him, all he could feel was the intense pleasure rippling through him from without and within. The scent of their lovemaking filled the air as hoarse cries tore from both their throats, the pungency thick and heady from mingled sex and sweat as they shuddered into ecstasy.

John sank down one last time, collapsing upon the strong body beneath him, droplets of sweat beading on his forehead, dripping onto Rodney's chest as John bowed his head, gasping for each breath in the aftermath of a tumultuous climax. He raised his head and met Rodney's eyes, drowning in them as he felt hot fingers slipping through the semen splattered between their bodies.

Clearing his throat, John broke eye contact and pulled off Rodney, waiting patiently while Rodney kicked off his shoes, pants and briefs and rearranged his naked limbs along the couch. Carefully lying down half on top of his lover, cradled in the strong arms that reached around to embrace him, John dropped his head onto Rodney's broad chest. He sighed in repletion as the last echoes of his climax softly rippled through his entire body, leaving him feeling heavy and sated. Closing his eyes, he drifted away to the rhythm of Rodney's heart beating beneath his ear.

 _The Sixth Sense_ played out as they slept in a tangle of limbs until silence pervaded the small room. John had no idea how long he slept wrapped in Rodney's arms but he slowly became aware of the sound of water. He frowned and raised his head from its pillow on Rodney's chest, staring at the screen but, not only was the screen dark but they had finished watching _The Abyss_ hours ago. Trying not to awaken Rodney, He started to push up but stopped, mesmerized by the childlike innocence in Rodney's face as he slept, with long lashes curved upon pale flesh and kiss-swollen lips parted in a soft 'O' as if begging for a lover's kiss.

He leaned in to deliver that kiss but the gurgle of water brought his head back up. Easing over the top of Rodney's body, John gave a wry grin as Rodney merely snuffled in his sleep. When his foot touched the floor, all his good feelings and ease dissipated in the pain of ice cold water rising to well above his ankle.

"Fuck!" He yelped and pulled his foot back up, elbowing Rodney accidentally, who rolled straight off the narrow couch to land with a splash and a piercing scream in the freezing water. Several moments of frantic splashing later and Rodney was back on the couch, his freezing cold and wet body sending shock waves of intense cold through John. John brought the lights up and they both stared at the four inches of water surrounding the couch.

They looked to each other in shock as someone started banging on John's door.

"Major! Major Sheppard!"

"Fuck!" Rodney exclaimed as he reached for his pants that were floating on the water to one side. "Fuck!" he cried more forcefully in a harsh whisper but there was no way he was going to pull the sodden, freezing cold material over his shivering wet body.

"I'm okay, Bates," John yelled as the pounding on the door continued. "Just a bad dream."

Another voice called out. "Major Sheppard, we have an emergency."

"Doctor Zelenka?"

John looked at Rodney, who was seated on the couch with his arms wrapped around his violently shivering naked body, his eyes wide in horror.

"The computer system controlling the water throughput to this part of the city has failed...and no one can locate Doctor McKay. We need Rodney. Do you know where he is? It is matter of great urgency."

John swallowed hard as Rodney shook his head even more violently, blue eyes pleading. "Oh fuck! Oh fuck!" he said over and over in a hoarse whisper.

"Give me a second," John yelled to Zelenka before catching Rodney's face in his hands, expression earnest as he looked deep into panicking eyes, willing Rodney to listen. "I'm not ashamed of you, or what we did. It was amazing. I want us to do it again...and again...and again."

The shivering did not stop but the panic started to leave the frightened eyes. "You d-do?"

"Stay there."

John steeled himself and leaped into the ankle deep freezing water, feeling his feet start to numb immediately but he moved quickly, leaping onto the bed and pulling open the drawer that was just within reach. He pulled out two t-shirts and two pairs of sweatpants. Balling up one set, he made a perfect throw that landed on Rodney. He pulled his clothes on, watching out of the corner of his eye as Rodney dressed with some alacrity. Rolling up the legs, he mentally ordered the door open to find a harassed Zelenka and Bates standing on the other side though both wore insulated, waterproof waders for protection.

Both men's eyes widened in shock when they saw Rodney shivering on the couch dressed in John's clothes, with his hair lying wet and lank, and plastered to his head. John saw Bates' eyes drop to the clothes floating on the water--Rodney's clothes and John's. His lips formed a tight line but he said nothing.

John pulled at the blanket, which had not trailed into the water, folding it up. "Bates, put this around McKay before he freezes to death."

Bates walked in and grabbed the blanket. He took it the few steps across the room and wrapped it around Rodney's shaking shoulders, surprise forcing his eyebrows into his hairline when he heard Rodney's stuttered words of thanks.

Zelenka walked in a few more steps. "I have another set of boots."

"Give them to McKay. He's the one you need right now. Bates will get me another pair. Won't you, Sergeant?"

"Yes, sir."

John nodded in reassurance when his eyes met Rodney's as he pulled on the waders, gaining a tremulous smile in response. Then Rodney was gone, following Zelenka and Bates out the door, still wrapped tightly in John's blanket. John sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair as he waited for Bates to return.

******

 **Epilogue:**

It took three hours for Rodney and Zelenka to find the piece of software that had failed so abysmally and determine the root cause, which turned out to be the interference of a certain pony-tailed scientist. Fixing the bug in the system took another two hours because of all the related systems interacting with this one. Each line of code had to be tested methodically and thoroughly, and would have taken far less time if Kavanagh had backed up the original code before making his _minor adjustments to the water throughput_.

While he worked, someone brought Rodney a dry set of warm clothes from his room, which had not suffered flooding--including his favorite orange fleece that he had brought with him from Siberia and worn in Antarctica. He changed quickly in a nearby storage room, carefully removing John's t-shirt and sweat pants, which were a little snug on his slightly larger frame. Originally, he was tempted to leave on the t-shirt but the feel of the damp cotton against his skin reminded him of the ease with which he could catch pneumonia, outweighing any romantic notions. Instead, he opted for the dry clothing, reluctantly folding John's clothes.

Finally, with the system back up and running smoothly, and the water level quickly dropping, Rodney leaned back in his chair and sighed tiredly. When a hot cup of chicken soup was placed before him, he looked up in surprise, embarrassment rising along with pleasure when John sat down on the edge of the table, sipping from his own mug.

"Thought you could do with something hot and filling. I know I could."

The rise of the dark eyebrows and the sparkle in John's eyes told Rodney that John was not necessarily talking about the soup. Rodney felt the heat rise in his cheeks but he held John's eyes even as he picked up the mug of soup to take a careful sip in case it was too hot.

"You pushed me off the couch."

"No I didn't. That was an accident."

"I could catch a cold...or worse, pneumonia."

"Then I'd have to make sure you stayed warm and feed you chicken soup all day and night."

"You would?"

John grinned. "Of course I would, Rodney. That's what friends and lovers are for...especially when they're both."

Rodney gave a tiny grin. "I'm sure I feel a sniffle coming on."

"Well, then if you're finished here, why don't I take you to bed. _Your_ bed."

"My bed?"

"My room's still in an inch of cold water whereas your room is all cozy and dry."

"My room it is then," Rodney agreed with a happy grin. He picked up his soup cup and walked off with John, hands brushing occasionally as they walked side-by-side down the corridor towards Rodney's quarters. He beamed as he caught the big smile John threw his way, silently wondering if he could turn the myth of free time into reality far more often in the future, and most certainly if he could spend that time with John.

THE END


End file.
